


The End of the World Leaves Room for a Beginning

by Beansguyfritz



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, M/M, On the Run, Post-Apocalypse, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:42:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23230396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beansguyfritz/pseuds/Beansguyfritz
Summary: 11 years ago, a devastating super weapon ended the world as it was known. Now, instead of an ordinary government, powerful families and companies had taken control of the land, creating territories where no one was safe. Those who apposed their rule would find themselves dead, or much worse.Now, a group has appeared dedicated to reforming what was left of their world.





	The End of the World Leaves Room for a Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> There's a guy named Fritz in this story, but he isn't a self insert per-say. All of the characters have pieces of me, good or bad, but I'm gonna be real with you and tell you that Fritz is a character I've had since before I went by Fritz. I just really like the name Fritz lol
> 
> That being said, this is my first story being published. If you somehow come across this, please note that a lot of the errors are just because I'm a pretty amateur author. That doesn't excuse me from criticism (please give me some if you have any! I can take it, I promise), but that's an explanation for some of the weaker aspects of this story. I've been thinking about this story for around 3 years now and I can't wait to share it with the world :)

It was a quiet sunny morning. A slight chill swept through the abandoned suburbs. The cold pavement was cracked with dried plants growing through it, reclaiming the land humanity had stolen from it. This might've been a good morning.

Might've being the key word.

Ever since the world had fallen into ruins, Nathan had been on the run. Whether it be from a specific guy or a group, Nathan had never gotten to rest for long before he was gone. This time it was a group. Not just any group, though, one of the largest groups in the area. The Verander family was a very dangerous group to mess with too. Nathan knew it was kind of his fault that his group was in this mess anyways, so he was doing his hardest to get everyone out of it.

"Nate!" A holler from behind him. He turned around to look at a young man, who was coming out of the deteriorating house the group was sheltering in. Nathan smiled at him. "Fritz, shouldn't you be in bed? It's like, what, 6 A.M., and you're basically a child!" He said with a grin, ruffling Fritz's hair. "God, dad, you can't boss me around anymore! You just don't understand me!" Fritz said through some giggles with a toothy grin. Nathan swung playfully at Fritz, and soon the two had dissolved into a playful fight, throwing light punches and weak kicks at each other, yelping and laughing. This was what made being on the run worth it. The simple grasps at normalcy, a hopeful peak into a better life. Nathan loved it.

After a few minutes of scrapping, Nathan disentangled himself and let out a hearty laugh. "Well, it's too early for a smoke break, and I'm cold, so I'm heading back inside." Nathan said with a huff. "Oh yeah, I was supposed to come tell you that breakfast is almost ready!" Fritz said, a glow in his eyes. Nathan snorted and ruffled Fritz's hair again, turning to go back inside, Fritz close behind him.

True to Fritz's word, everyone was awake, bumming around in the kitchen with the sweet aroma of pancakes. "Did Kathryn cook today?" Nathan said loudly, walking to the counter to get his own pile of pancakes. One of his teammates, Noah, was sitting on a chair and looked up to give a kind but humorous smile to Nathan. "If Grey had cooked, we'd be eating outside right now." He said in his quiet, reserved tone. Noah was always like this, and he even looked like he'd be more reserved, with his light, almost ginger hair growing past his ears and over his eyes, and his rounder facial features. Greyson was the opposite of Noah, with messy hair that seemed to sprout in every direction and a slightly sharper face. "Hey! I'm not that bad of a cook." Grey said offendedly. "Well..." Fritz said with a grin, brushing his fluffy brown hair away from his face as he messily set into his plate of pancakes. Grey lashed a bandana they kept tucked in their belt at Fritz with an open-mouthed grin. Fritz raised his hands in defense, wide-eyed with half a pancake hanging out of his mouth. The team all laughed goodheartedly together, the morning antics never dull. Grey turned to Nathan. "Yeah, Kathryn cooked." They said with a smile.

They all ate, not at all quietly, taking turns to share stories, make their points, and laugh. As the food slowly disappeared, the team got quieter, and finally, everyone washed their dishes and sat down, full. Grey cleared his throat. "Um. Actually. Kathryn and I were discussing it, and we think it'd be a good idea to leave today." Grey said, swallowing. Silence followed as everyone thought the same thing. _Back on the run._ The silence was almost sickening for a moment, before a wavy haired woman, Kathryn, spoke up. "We have to get past the city as soon as possible. Once we're past there, we can set up a more... long-term living arrangement. Everyone should be ready by noon. Agreed?" She said, with her smile as sweet as honey. Everyone murmured agreement, and slowly, they all got up to excuse themselves.

Nathan rolled his pillow into his blanket and set it next to his backpack. He hadn't taken much out, he'd known this was only a temporary thing, but he'd hoped it would last a little longer. A knock on the door caused him to jump. "Come in." He called. The door pushed open to reveal a small honey-brown-haired boy with a thin frame wearing one of Grey's old oversized shirts, making him seem even smaller. _Oliver._ Nathan thought, his heartbeat quickening. "Oh- Um... Hi, Ollie." Nathan said, turning back towards his backpack on the bed. "Hi, Nate." Oliver said softly and with a warm smile, walking to Nathan and sitting next to him. The two sat in silence for a moment. "It wasn't your fault, you know." Oliver said

Nathan blinked with alarm. "W-What do you mean?" He tried to ask cooly. Oliver laughed a small, warm laugh that made Nathan's heart ache. "We know you blame yourself for this, but it isn't your fault." Oliver said quietly. Nathan turned to look at Oliver. Oliver returned his gaze, innocence glowing in his eyes with not a trace of judgement. "Do you think we'd still be running right now if I hadn't killed Verander's cousin or whatever?" Nathan asked dryly. Oliver laughed again. "Probably. If not from Verander, than someone else. It's kind of our life, Nate." Nathan looked down. "I shouldn't have killed him." He said, almost a growl, mostly to himself. "You probably shouldn't have," Oliver agreed, "But that doesn't mean we blame you. No one does." "Verander seems to." Nathan retorted. Oliver laughed again. "I guess that's true." He said with a smile. They sat in silence for a moment. Oliver suddenly pulled Nathan into an embrace. "It seriously isn't your fault, Nate." Oliver murmured into Nathan's shoulder. Nathan returned the hug, a bit tighter than he'd intended. "Thank you, Ol." Nathan mumbled. After a moment, Oliver pulled away. "I'll leave you to finish preparing." Oliver said with a warm smile. "We're in the kitchen if you need us." Nathan nodded. "See you soon." He said with a smile, and Oliver laughed before turning and leaving. Nathan was once again left alone in an empty room.

 _Fuck._ Nathan thought, burying his face in his hands. He let out a sob, and then began weeping.  
_Fuck._


End file.
